Beyond the Basics: Advanced Techniques in Web App Penetration Testing

Web app penetration testing is becoming increasingly popular. Development teams must guarantee that any web application they create is adequately tested in order to avoid software difficulties, bugs, faults, or hassles in user experience, and, most critically, security holes inside their application.

In this article, we’ll guide you through the process, as well as the methods that a pentesting firm use to assist in verifying that your platform is bug-free, optimized, and secure for your consumers to use. Keep reading!

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What is Web Application Penetration Testing?

A pen test, as the name implies, is a test that focuses primarily on a web application rather than a network or corporation as a whole. Penetration testing for web applications is performed by launching simulated assaults, in order to get access to sensitive data.

You can use web penetration testing to identify any security flaws in the complete online application and its components (including the source code, database, and back-end network). This allows the developer to prioritize the identified web app vulnerabilities and threats and devise mitigation techniques.

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The Significance of Web App Pentesting

Penetration testing is an essential component of any strong security program and is often performed by people or a firm with industry knowledge. Here are some significant benefits of web application pen testing:

• Pentesting enables the discovery of any vulnerabilities in the application that may have gone undetected during development or normal audits.
• It lowers the chance of data breaches, unauthorized access, and other security issues by discovering and correcting defects in an application before hackers can use it.
• Doing frequent penetration testing displays a commitment to customer privacy and security, which will undoubtedly increase confidence and loyalty.

Want to know more about why businesses need Penetration testing? Click Here

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What are the Advanced Techniques of Web App Pentesting?

Because cybersecurity is a growing field, there is a high demand for Web application pentesting companies. Every day, millions of individuals across the world use them for business and personal purposes.

As technology improves, so do the methods used by malicious parties to attack vulnerabilities in web applications. To stay ahead of these emerging dangers, security experts use advanced web app pentesting techniques. Here are the top advanced techniques followed by reputable testing service providers:

• An in-depth examination of web application vulnerabilities.
• Covers XSS, SQL Injection, HTML5, Command Injection, and many more topics.
• Includes bypassing filters and WAF tactics.
• Investigate the attack vectors and vulnerabilities for HTML5 and XML.
• Advanced PHP, Java, Deserialization, LDAP, Server Side, and Authentication/SSO threats are covered.
• Exploiting RMI-based JMX services, JNDI injection attacks, PHP Objection Instantiation, and PHP Type Juggling.
• Creating Property Oriented Programming chains, and exploiting memory-unsafe languages are all covered.

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What are the Methodologies Used in Web App Pen Testing?

There are a variety of standards and techniques in place to verify that the penetration test is genuine and covers all critical areas. Some of them are as follows:

1.???? OWASP

The Open Worldwide Application Security Project (OWASP) is a non-profit organization that works to improve software security. It is one of the most extensively used and accepted penetration testing standards. It is based on a scientific approach to penetration testing and includes adaptive tester instructions. This may be used to make an accurate assessment.

2.???? NIST

The National Institute of Standards and Technology?provides a collection of guidelines and recommendations to assist businesses in becoming better prepared to detect and respond to cyberattacks. NIST is also used by businesses to respond to, prevent, and recover from cyber catastrophes. As a result, it is regarded as the gold standard for developing a cybersecurity program.

3.???? OSSTMM

The goal of OSSTMM (Open Source Security Testing Methodology Manual) is to provide a scientific approach for reliable operation security characterization that may be utilized for penetration testing, ethical hacking, and other security testing.

4.???? SANS

SANS stands for SysAdmin, Audit, Network, and Security. SANS Institute assists enterprises in mitigating cyber risk by providing cyber security practitioners and teams with the training, certifications, and degrees they need to protect their organizations and develop their careers.

5.???? PTES

PTES, or Penetration Testing Execution Standards, is a pentest technique developed by a group of information security experts. The purpose of PTES is to provide a thorough and up-to-date penetration testing standard, as well as to raise awareness among businesses about what to anticipate from a pentest.

6.???? ISSAF

The Open Information Systems Security Group supports the Information System Security Assessment Framework (ISSAF) as a pentesting reference. This is one of the security testing procedures that is no longer maintained, thus it is a little out of date. Nonetheless, it is still in use because of its comprehensive character - it connects all stages of the pentest process with essential tools.

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We strongly advise you to study and incorporate anything that will assist your security program. Do you have any queries or are you interested in a security assessment? Please contact us immediately and we will gladly assist you.

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The Steps of Web App Pen Testing

Here is the step-by-step guide to the process of web application pentesting containing all the phases of how the testing is done:

1.???? Gathering Information:

The fundamental goal of penetration testing is to obtain as much information as can. The pentesting company collaborates with your team to get critical application information. Understanding user roles, permissions, and data flows is essential for developing a successful testing approach.

2.???? Planning

A thorough penetration testing strategy is developed, describing the scope, methodology, and testing criteria. A checklist is created on a comprehensive basis, including crucial subjects such as authentication mechanisms, data processing, and input validation.

3.???? Auto Tool Scan

During the penetration testing procedure, an automated and intrusive scan is performed. This scan comprises utilizing specialized tools to seek vulnerabilities on the application's surface level carefully. The automated tools act as prospective attackers, uncovering weaknesses and security gaps.

4.???? Manual Penetration Testing

The company offers a comprehensive range of deep manual penetration testing services that are tailored to your specific requirements and security standards. This one-of-a-kind approach allows for a thorough examination of potential vulnerabilities throughout the web application.

5.???? Reporting

The team meticulously identifies and categorizes vulnerabilities discovered throughout the evaluation to ensure that potential risks are clearly understood. They create significant documentation that may be used to better understand the application's security state.

Ready to uncover the vulnerabilities in your web application? Download a Sample Report to see how a leading web app security testing company makes a report.

6.???? Remediation Support

If the development team requires support in reproducing or minimizing disclosed vulnerabilities, the organization provides a critical service via consultation calls. This collaborative method ensures that the development team receives expert advice, allowing for a seamless and speedy resolution of vulnerabilities.

7.???? Retesting

Following the completion of vulnerability mitigation by the development team, a vital stage of retesting happens. The testers undertake a thorough evaluation to validate the efficacy of the treatments used.

8.???? LOA and Certificate

The testing company provides a Letter of Attestation, which is an important document. Data from penetration testing and security assessments are used to support this letter. Furthermore, the testing firm will provide a Security Certificate, which will enhance your ability to represent a secure environment.

Read our blog to learn about the process of Web App Penetration Testing.

How to Choose a Web App Penetration Testing Company?

Before selecting a web application security testing company, check these factors while searching for one:

• Portfolio: Look for a testing company with a large customer base and a minimum of 2 years of experience. Ensure that the organization follows ethical principles and acts with integrity and honesty.
• Expertise: The organization should have a well-defined manual testing approach in place to provide a thorough review of your system's security posture. For instance, if the company is performing 20% automation and 80% manual, then the result of getting zero false positives is higher.
• Reporting: The testing report should offer actionable insights and suggestions for fixing identified weaknesses. The vulnerabilities in the report should be prioritized depending on their severity and possible impact on your systems.
• Consultation: The development team may seek assistance in recreating or fixing flaws. In response, the penetration tester will facilitate direct talks via a consultation call. If necessary, they should also provide online assistance.
• Industry Standards: The VAPT firm should be familiar with and comply with a variety of industry standards and frameworks such as PTES, OWASP, OSSTMM, SANS, etc. This displays their dedication to best practices and a thorough awareness of various security standards.

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Conclusion

Looking for a company that provides all these perks of advanced web app penetration testing? QualySec is perfect for you! We are India’s only leading process-based penetration testing company. With years of expertise, our staff has the skills and knowledge in advanced web app pen testing to delve deep into your web app and identify any flaws.

To ensure optimal security, we use cutting-edge advanced techniques, procedures, and technology to safeguard your app. Furthermore, we don't simply point out problems; we provide you with a detailed plan for resolving them with our comprehensive test report.

We scan your application with our built-in-house automation tools as well as commercial tools like Burp Suite, Netsparker, etc. When you collaborate with us, you demonstrate to your users that their data is secure. We back up our promises with a strong track record in cybersecurity, with 250+ secured applications with zero data breach records.

Fulfill compliance requirements like GDPR, SOC2, ISO 27001 , etc. with our professional guidance and advanced penetration testing methods. Fill out this form before it’s too late to secure your web apps.